The Memory Palace of Matteo RicciFrom the renowned historian and author of The Death of Woman Wang, a vivid and gripping account of the 16th-century missionary’s remarkable sojourn to Ming China In 1577, the Jesuit Priest Matteo Ricci set out from Italy to bring Christian faith and Western thought to Ming dynasty China. To capture the complex emotional and religious drama of Ricci's extraordinary life, Jonathan Spence relates his subject's experiences with several images that Ricci himself created—four images derived from the events in the Bible and others from a book on the art of memory that Ricci wrote in Chinese and circulated among members of the Ming dynasty elite. A rich and compelling narrative about a fascinating life, The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci is also a significant work of global history, juxtaposing the world of Counter-Reformation Europe with that of Ming China. |
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - HadriantheBlind - LibraryThingAn interesting book which is something more than an ordinary biography. Matteo Ricci is an interesting character, and the Palace of Memory is a framework and a link between topics, but there is also ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - SimonDagut - LibraryThingInteresting life, but overelaborate structure causes some confusion and boredom. Also, I think assumes too much tacit knowledge of China and Chinese. Possibly also of early modern Europe and its expansion. Read full review
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Common terms and phrases
Acquaviva Art of Memory boat Boxer Buddhist Catholic century Cheng Dayue China Chinese scholars Christ Christian church Claudio Acquaviva Clavius Confucian converts d'Elia death ducats emperor Emperor Wanli Epictetus eunuch Europe faith fathers give given Gujin tushu jicheng History huihui hundred Ibid ideograph Ignatius of Loyola India Islam Japan Japanese Jesuit order Jews Jiren journey King later letter lived Lord of Heaven Ludolfus Macao Macerata Madou Maffei Martin Matteo Ricci memory images memory palace merchant military Ming missionaries mnemonic Montaigne Muslim Nanchang Nanjing nese one's paintings papal passage Peking picture Pope Portuguese priests Quintilian religion religious residence Ricci wrote river Roma Sancta Roman Rome Ruggieri sailed Sebastian Shaozhou ship silk silver slaves sodality Spanish things thousand Tianzhu shiyi tion trade translation Valignano Voyage Wanli Western words writing Xu Guangqi Zhaoqing
References to this book
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci A Penguin Book A Penguin book: History Elizabeth Sifton books |
| Author | Jonathan D. Spence |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Penguin Books, 1985 |
| ISBN | 0140080988, 9780140080988 |
| Length | 350 pages |
| Subjects | › › Biography & Autobiography / Educators Biography & Autobiography / General History / Asia / China History / Medieval |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |